indication

Used in the treatment of tuberculosis in combination with other drugs.

pharmacology

Capreomycin is a member of the aminoglycoside family of antibiotics. These antibiotics have the ability to kill a wide variety of bacteria, including bacteria responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB).

mechanism of action

Little is known about capreomycin's exact mechanism of action, but it is thought to inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 70S ribosomal unit. Capreomycin also binds to components in the bacterial cell which result in the production of abnormal proteins. These proteins are necessary for the bacteria's survival. Therefore the production of these abnormal proteins is ultimately fatal to the bacteria.

toxicity

Hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and an electrolyte disturbance resembling Bartter's syndrome have been reported to occur in patients with capreomycin toxicity. The subcutaneous median lethal dose (LD₅₀) in mice was 514 mg/kg.

absorption

Not absorbed in significant quantities from the gastrointestinal tract and must be administered parenterally.

route of elimination

When a 1–g dose of capreomycin was given intramuscularly to normal volunteers, 52% was excreted in the urine within 12 hours.